Pete Sampras

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Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras in 2008
Nickname(s) Pistol Pete, Outlaw Pete,

King of Swing
Country  United States
Residence Los Angeles, California
Date of birth August 12, 1971 (1971-08-12) (age 37)
Place of birth Washington, D.C.
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg)[1]
Turned pro 1988
Retired 2002
Plays Right-handed; one-handed backhand
Career prize money US$ 43,280,489
Int. Tennis HOF 2007 (member page)
Singles
Career record 762–222 (77.44%)
Career titles 64
Highest ranking No. 1 (April 12, 1993)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open W (1994, 1997)
French Open SF (1996)
Wimbledon W (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
US Open W (1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2002)
Major tournaments
Tour Finals W (1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999)
Olympic Games 3R (1992)
Doubles
Career record 64–70
Career titles 2
Highest ranking No. 27 (February 12, 1990)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open 2R (1989)
French Open 2R (1989)
Wimbledon 3R (1989)
US Open 1R (1988, 1989, 1990)
Last updated on: July 5, 2008.

Pete Sampras (born August 12, 1971) is a retired American tennis player and former World No. 1. During his 15-year career, he won 14 Grand Slam men's singles titles, and had a 203–38 win-loss record over 52 Grand Slam singles tournament appearances.[2]He is considered as one of the greatest players of all time.

He debuted on the professional tour in 1988 and played his last top-level tournament in 2002 when he won the US Open, defeating longtime rival Andre Agassi in the final. He was the year-end World No. 1 for six consecutive years (1993–1998), a record for the open era and tied for third all-time. His seven Wimbledon singles championships is a record shared with William Renshaw. His five US Open singles titles is an open-era record shared with former World No. 1 player Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer. The American journalist and television sportscaster Bud Collins has named Sampras as one of the top five men's tennis players of all time,[3] and Tennis Magazine has named him the greatest tennis player from 1965 to 2005.[4] On July 17, 2007, Sampras was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.[5]

Contents

[edit] Tennis career

[edit] Early life and career

Pete Sampras was born in Washington, D.C., and is the third child of Sammy and Georgia Sampras. His mother immigrated from Sparta, Greece, while his father was born in the United States to a Greek immigrant father and a Jewish mother.[6][7] Greek culture played a big role in his upbringing.[7][8] Pete attended regular services of the Greek Orthodox Church on Sundays.[9] From an early age, Sampras showed signs of outstanding athletic ability. At age 3 Sampras discovered a tennis racquet in the basement of his home and spent hours hitting balls against the wall. In 1978, the Sampras family moved to Palos Verdes, California, and the warmer climate there allowed seven-year-old Pete to play more tennis. From early on, his great idol was Rod Laver, and at 11 Sampras met and played with him.[10] The Sampras family joined the Peninsula Racket Club, and it was here that Sampras's talent became apparent. He was spotted by Peter Fischer, a pediatrician and tennis enthusiast, who coached Sampras until 1989.[10][11] Fischer was responsible for converting Sampras's two-handed backhand to one-handed with the goal of being better prepared to win Wimbledon.[12]

[edit] 1988–1990

Sampras turned professional in 1988, at the age of 16, and finished the year ranked World No. 97 after starting the year at World No. 893.[13] His first professional match was a loss to Sammy Giammalva, Jr. at the February Ebel U.S. Pro Indoor in Philadelphia. But just one week later at the Lipton International Players Championships in Miami, Sampras defeated two top-40 players before losing to World No. 18 Emilio Sánchez. He did not defeat another top-40 player for almost six months, when he defeated World No. 39 Michiel Schapers at a US Open warm-up tournament in Rye Brook, New York. In his first Grand Slam singles match, Sampras lost to World No. 69 Jaime Yzaga of Peru in the first round of the US Open 6–7, 6–7, 6–4, 7–5, 6–2. Sampras did not advance past the quarterfinals in his next three tournaments, although he did record wins over World No. 79 Jim Courier, in their first career match-up, and World No. 8 Tim Mayotte.[14]

The following year, Sampras slightly improved his ranking to a year-ending World No. 81.[15] He lost in the first round of the 1989 Australian Open to Christian Saceanu and the first round of Wimbledon to Todd Woodbridge 7–5, 7–6, 5–7, 6–3. He won a Grand Slam singles match for the first time at the French Open before losing in the second round to eventual champion, 17-year-old Michael Chang, 6–1, 6–1, 6–1 in their first career match-up. At the US Open, Sampras defeated defending champion and fifth-seeded Mats Wilander in the second round 5–7, 6–3, 1–6, 6–1, 6–4 before losing to World No. 13 Jay Berger in the fourth round. To end the year, Sampras lost in the first round of four consecutive tournaments.[16]

Sampras finished 1990 at World No. 5, having started the year ranked World No. 61 just prior to the start of the Australian Open.[17] He lost to Wilander in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Sydney. At the Australian Open, Sampras upset twelfth-ranked Mayotte in the first round 7–6, 6–7, 4–6, 7–5, 12–10 before losing to thirteenth-ranked Yannick Noah in the fourth round in four sets. His first professional singles title came in February at the Ebel U.S. Pro Indoor in Philadelphia, where he defeated sixth-ranked Andre Agassi, eighth-ranked Mayotte, and eighteenth-ranked Andrés Gómez in the final. This title elevated his ranking into the top-20 for the first time. Sampras did not play the French Open and again lost in the first round of Wimbledon, this time to Christo Van Rensburg 7–6, 7–5, 7–6. Sampras played seven consecutive weeks during the North American summer hard court season. He defeated John McEnroe in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open but then lost to Chang in the semifinals. He also reached the semifinals of the tournament in Los Angeles where he lost to World No. 2 Stefan Edberg. He did not advance past the quarterfinals in his next three tournaments, losing to Chang, Richey Reneberg, and Goran Ivanišević. In September, he captured his first Grand Slam title at the US Open. Along the way, he defeated sixth-ranked Thomas Muster in the fourth round and third-ranked Ivan Lendl in a five-set quarterfinal, breaking Lendl's streak of eight consecutive US Open finals. He then defeated 20th-ranked McEnroe in a four-set semifinal to set up a final with fourth-ranked Agassi. Sampras beat Agassi in straight sets to become the US Open's youngest-ever male singles champion at the age of 19 years and 28 days.[18] He played five tournaments to complete the year, winning only the Grand Slam Cup.[19]

[edit] 1991–1992

Sampras in 1992.

Sampras in 1991 captured the first of his five career titles at the year-end Tennis Masters Cup. Upon entering the US Open as the defending champion that year, he caused controversy when, after losing in the quarterfinals to Jim Courier, Sampras said that he was not disappointed and felt relieved that the pressure to defend his title was no longer on him. This led to widespread criticism, which included disparaging remarks from Courier and Jimmy Connors.[20]

In 1992, Sampras reached the quarterfinals of the French Open for the first of three consecutive years, made it to the Wimbledon semifinals, and was the runner-up at the US Open to Stefan Edberg. Sampras later stated that his loss in the US Open final that year was a "wake-up call" and that he needed to figure out how to become the World No. 1.[21] He also played doubles with John McEnroe on the US team that won the Davis Cup, duplicating the feat in 1995.

[edit] 1993–1996

Sampras reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in early 1993, and matched the previous year's quarterfinal performance at the French Open. In April 1993, Sampras attained the World No. 1 ranking for the first time. His rise to the top of the rankings spot was controversial because he had not recently won any Grand Slam titles,[22] but he justified his ranking three months later by claiming his first Wimbledon title, beating former World No. 1 Jim Courier in the final. This was followed by his second US Open title. He finished the year as the clear No. 1 and set a new ATP Tour record that year by becoming the first player to serve more than 1,000 aces in a season.

Except for a loss in the 1996 quarterfinals to eventual winner Richard Krajicek, Sampras would continue to win at Wimbledon for the rest of the decade, becoming the most successful male player in Wimbledon history.[23]

Sampras won the first of his two Australian Open titles in 1994, defeating American Todd Martin in the final. In 1995 Sampras experienced one of the most emotional matches of his career when he played Courier in the quarterfinals.[24] Sampras's longtime coach and close friend, Tim Gullikson, had mysteriously collapsed during the tournament and was forced to return to the United States. Gullickson was later diagnosed with brain cancer to which he succumbed the following year. Saddened by Gullickson's illness, Sampras began visibly weeping during the match, but managed to win. He lost the final to Agassi. Paul Annacone took over as Sampras's full time coach after Gullickson's illness made it impossible for him to continue coaching.

Sampras's best surface was undoubtedly the fast-playing grass courts.[25] He was also known for his all-round game and strong competitive instinct. He won back-to-back US Open titles in 1995 and 1996. Sampras's only real weakness was on clay courts, where the slow surface tempered his natural attacking serve-and-volley game. His best performance at the French Open came in 1996, when he lost a semifinal match to the eventual winner, Yevgeny Kafelnikov. Despite his limited success at Roland Garros, Sampras did win some significant matches on clay. He won a 1992 clay court tournament in Kitzbuhel, defeating Alberto Mancini in the final. He won the prestigious Italian Open in 1994, defeating Boris Becker in the final, and two singles matches in the 1995 Davis Cup final against Russians Andrei Chesnokov and Yevgeny Kafelnikov in Moscow. Sampras also won a 1998 clay court tournament in Atlanta, defeating Jason Stoltenberg in the final.

[edit] 1997

Sampras won his second Australian Open title in January, defeating Carlos Moyà in the final; in July he won Wimbledon for the fourth time, defeating Cedric Pioline in the final. Sampras also won singles titles in San Jose, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Munich, and Paris and the ATP Tour World Championships in Hannover, Germany. He became the only player to win both the Grand Slam Cup and the ATP Tour World Championships in the same year.

He had a 10-1 win-loss record against top 10 opponents and was undefeated in eight singles finals. He held the World No. 1 ranking for the entire year and joined Jimmy Connors (1974–1978) as the only male players to hold the year-end World No. 1 ranking for five consecutive years. His prize money earnings of US$6,498,211 for the year was a career high.

[edit] 1998

In 1998, Sampras's number-one ranking was challenged by Chilean player Marcelo Ríos. (In 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997, Sampras had dominated the ATP tour.) Sampras failed to defend his Australian Open title, losing in the quarterfinals to Karol Kucera, and won Wimbledon only after a hard fought five-set victory over Goran Ivanišević. Sampras lost a five-set US Open semifinal to the eventual winner Patrick Rafter after suffering a leg injury in the third set while leading the match. He lost another semifinal at the Tennis Masters Cup. Nevertheless, Sampras finished the year as the top ranked player for the sixth year in a row.

[edit] 1999

1999 also started out disappointingly, as Sampras withdrew from the Australian Open and failed to win a title during the early part of the season. However, he then went on a 24-match winning streak, including the Stella Artois Championships, Wimbledon (equaling Roy Emerson's record of 12 Grand Slam singles titles), Los Angeles, and Cincinnati. That run ended when he was forced to retire from the RCA Championships and the US Open because of a herniated disc in his back. Sampras's ranking was hurt through a combination of withdrawing from the Australian and US Opens, tournaments in which he had strong performances during the previous year, and the resurgence of longtime rival Andre Agassi, putting an end to Sampras' six consecutive years of finishing as the World No. 1. Agassi took over the top ranking and held it for the rest of the season, but Sampras recovered and managed to beat him in the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup for the fifth and final time, enabling Sampras to place 3rd in the rankings.

[edit] 2000s

Sampras reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in early 2000 (falling to the eventual champion Agassi in a five-set match) and won the Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida for the third time in March. He then won a record-breaking 13th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, battling through a painful shin injury in the process.[26] This victory was his eighth consecutive win in a Grand Slam final (starting at 1995 Wimbledon), which remains a record. After this victory, Sampras did not win another title for more than two years. He lost in the finals of the 2000 and 2001 US Open to Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt, respectively, leading many to speculate that Sampras would never capture another major title. At the 2001 Wimbledon Championships, Sampras lost to Roger Federer, who was 19 at the time, 7–6(7), 5–7, 6–4, 6–7(2), 7–5 in the fourth round, ending Sampras's 31-match winning streak at Wimbledon. The match also marked the first and only time that the two men ever played each other on the ATP tour.

[edit] 2002

In 2002, Sampras suffered his second consecutive early exit from Wimbledon, losing in the second round to 145th ranked George Bastl of Switzerland, whose best surface was red clay. Sampras had a relatively poor summer leading up to the US Open. Greg Rusedski, whom Sampras had defeated in a long five-set third round match at the US Open, said that Sampras was "a step and a half slower" and predicted that Sampras would lose his next match. Sampras, however, then defeated two young and upcoming stars of the game, Tommy Haas in the fourth round and Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals. He then defeated Sjeng Schalken in the semifinals to reach his third straight US Open final, and eighth US Open final overall, tying Ivan Lendl's all-time record. This time, he faced Agassi, whom he had met in his very first Grand Slam final 12 years earlier. After a four-set battle between the two veterans, Sampras claimed a then record 14th Grand Slam singles title and matched Jimmy Connors's record of five US Open singles championships.

He played no tour events in the following 12 months, but did not officially announce his retirement until August 2003, just prior to the US Open. He chose not to defend his title there, but his retirement announcement was timed so that he could say farewell at a special ceremony organized for him at the open. After retirement, many regarded Sampras to be the greatest player of all time.[27]

Sampras won 64 top-level singles titles (including 14 Grand Slam titles, 11 Super 9 / ATP Masters Series titles, and five Tennis Masters Cup titles) and two doubles titles. He was ranked the World No. 1 for a record 286 weeks and was year-end No. 1 for a record six consecutive years from 1993 through 1998.

[edit] Rivalry with Andre Agassi

Sampras won 20 of the 34 matches he played against Agassi.[28]

The 1990 US Open was their first meeting in a Grand Slam tournament final. Agassi was favored because he was ranked World No. 4 compared to the World No. 12 ranking of Sampras and because Agassi had defeated Sampras in their only previously completed match. However, Agassi lost the final to Sampras in straight sets.

With both Sampras and Agassi participating, the U.S. won the Davis Cup in 1995. Notable Sampras-Agassi matches of 1995 included the finals of the Australian Open, the Newsweek Champions Cup, the Lipton International Players Championships, the Canadian Open, and the US Open, with Sampras winning the Newsweek Champions Cup and the US Open.

The next time Sampras and Agassi met in a Grand Slam final was at Wimbledon in 1999, where Sampras won in straight sets. For both, it was considered a career rejuvenation, as Sampras had suffered a string of disappointments in the last year while Agassi was regaining his status as a top-ranked player after winning the French Open. Sampras forfeited the World No. 1 ranking to Agassi when injury forced Sampras to withdraw from that year's US Open. They faced each other twice in the season-ending ATP Tour World Championships, with Sampras losing the round robin match but winning the final.

They played each other only once in 2000. The top-ranked Agassi defeated World No. 3 Sampras in the semifinals of the Australian Open 6–4, 3–6, 6–7(7), 7–6(5), 6–1.

In arguably their most memorable match, Sampras defeated Agassi in the 2001 US Open quarterfinals 6–7(7), 7–6(2), 7–6(2), 7–6(5). There were no breaks of serve during the entire match. Reruns of the match are frequently featured on television, especially during US Open rain delays.

The final of the 2002 US Open was their first meeting in a US Open final since 1995. The match also was notable because they had defeated several up-and-coming players en route to the final. Sampras had defeated World No. 3 Tommy Haas in the fourth round and future World No. 1 Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals while Agassi had defeated previous World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt in the semifinals. Sampras defeated Agassi 6–3, 6–4, 5–7, 6–4. This was the final ATP tour singles match of Sampras's career.

[edit] Equipment

Sampras used one racket type, the Wilson Pro Staff Original, for his entire professional career - a racket first introduced in 1983. He played with Babolat natural gut, with all his rackets re-strung before each match (used or not) at 75 lbs tension (more or less depending on conditions). His rackets had weight added to bring them close to 400g, but the proper frame was a production model manufactured from St. Vincent, an island factory in the Caribbean. The handles were custom-built.[29]

Post-retirement, Sampras has used the slightly modified Pro Staff Tour 90 and in 2008 had a new version of the original Pro Staff produced, with in-between head size of 88 square inches and heavier weight at 349 grams unstrung.[30]

[edit] Post-retirement activity

Pete Sampras at Champions Cup Boston, in 2007.

On April 6, 2006, three and one-half years after his retirement, Sampras resurfaced and played his first exhibition match in River Oaks, Houston, Texas against 23 year old Robby Ginepri. Ginepri won the match 6–3, 7–6(10). Sampras would then later announce that he would be playing in World Team Tennis events.

2007 saw Sampras announcing that he would play in a few events on the Outback Champions Series, a group of tournaments for former ATP players who have met certain criteria during their careers.[31] Sampras won his first two events on tour, defeating Todd Martin in both finals (one of which included Sampras's first trip to his ancestral homeland, Greece).[32] Many observers noted that despite his lengthy layoff from competitive tournaments, Sampras still possessed many of the previous skills he had once displayed when he was on the ATP tour, with tennis legend John McEnroe going as far as to say that Sampras would be worthy of a top five seed at Wimbledon if he were to enter the tournament.[33]

On November 20, 2007, Sampras lost the first of three exhibition matches in Asia against Roger Federer losing 6–4, 6–3 in Seoul, Korea.[34] Two days later in Kuala Lumpur, Sampras again lost to Federer, 7–6(6), 7–6(5). However, Sampras was able to win the last match of the series, winning 7–6(6), 6–4, even though he stated his goal was to just win a set.[35]

On February 18, 2008, in an exhibition match during the SAP Open, Sampras defeated another active player, former World No. 2 Tommy Haas. Sampras dispatched the German, 6–4, 6–2 in 43 minutes.[36]

On March 10, 2008, Sampras played another exhibition match against World No. 1 Roger Federer at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Sampras once again lost the match 6–3, 6–7(4), 7–6(6).[37]

In 2009, Sampras won two Outback Champions Series titles. He defeated McEnroe in the final of the Champions Cup Boston in February and Patrick Rafter in the final of The Del Mar Development Champions Cup in March.[38]

On June 1 Sampras was at E3 to show people Grand Slam Tennis at the EA Press Conference.

[edit] Playing style

Sampras was an all-court player who would often serve-and-volley. In the early years of his career, when not serving, his strategy was to be offensive from the baseline, put opponents in a defensive position, and finish points at the net. In his later years, he became even more offensive and would either employ a chip-and-charge strategy; just chip back the return and run up to the net, waiting for a volley or try to hit an offensive shot on the return and follow his return to the net.

He was known for producing aces on critical points, even with his second serves.[39][40] He had an accurate and powerful first serve, one of the best of all time;[41] His second serve was nearly as powerful as his first, possibly his most dangerous weapon. He had great disguise on both his first and second serves.

[edit] Personal and family life

Sampras's older sister Stella is the women's tennis head coach at UCLA,[42] and his younger sister, Marion, is a teacher in Los Angeles. His older brother, Gus, has been tournament director at the Scottsdale ATP event, but from 2007 he became president of the firm managing Pete's business activities.[43]

For two years from 1997–2000 Sampras dated actress Kimberly Williams. On September 30, 2000, Sampras married American actress and former Miss Teen USA Bridgette Wilson.[44] On November 21, 2002, their son Christian Charles was born.[45] On July 29, 2005, the couple welcomed their second son, Ryan Nikolaos.[46]

Sampras has thalassemia minor, a genetic trait that sometimes causes a mild anemia.[47]

[edit] Career statistics

Main article: Pete Sampras career statistics

[edit] Records and achievements

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[edit] Records

  • These records were attained in Open Era of tennis.
  • ^ Denotes consecutive streak.
Championship Years Record accomplished Player tied
Grand Slam 1995–2000 8 consecutive wins in Grand Slam finals Stands alone
Wimbledon 1993–2000 7 wins overall Stands alone
Wimbledon 1993–2000 7 finals overall Roger Federer^

Boris Becker
U.S. Open 1990–2002 5 wins overall Roger Federer^

Jimmy Connors
U.S. Open 1990–2002 8 finals overall Ivan Lendl^
ATP World Tour Finals 1991–1999 5 wins overall Ivan Lendl
  • Sampras has won 14 Grand Slam titles, second only to Federer's 15.
  • Sampras finished the year ranked World No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for a record six years. He is the only player to have been ranked World No. 1 by the ATP for six consecutive years (1993–98).[1]
  • Sampras was ranked World No. 1 by the ATP for a record 286 weeks.
  • William Renshaw and Sampras share the record for most Wimbledon men's singles titles won, with seven titles each. Sampras never lost a Wimbledon final.
  • Sampras is the only male player to have won at least three consecutive Wimbledon singles titles twice (1993–95 and 1997–2000).
  • Only Sampras (1997–2000), Federer (2003–07), and Borg (1976–80) have won at least four consecutive Wimbledon singles titles. During the open era, only Borg (1978–81 French Open and 1976–80 Wimbledon), Sampras (1997–2000 Wimbledon), Federer (2003–07 Wimbledon and 2004–08 US Open), and Rafael Nadal (2005–08 French Open) have won at least one Grand Slam tournament four consecutive times.
  • Sampras was included in the year-end ATP top ten rankings for 12 years. Only Connors, Ivan Lendl, and Andre Agassi have stayed in the ATP top ten longer.
  • Sampras earned US$43,280,489 in prize money (2nd Overall only to Roger Federer).
  • Sampras captured 64 ATP singles titles, which makes him fourth on the all-time list.
  • Sampras won 11 ATP Masters Series titles. Only Agassi (17), Nadal (15) and Federer (15) have won more of those titles.
  • Sampras appeared in at least one Grand Slam final for a record 11 consecutive years (1992–2002) (a record shared with Lendl (1981–91)). Sampras won at least one of those finals for a record eight consecutive years (1993–2000) (a record shared with Borg (1974–81)).
  • Ken Rosewall and Sampras are the only men to have won Grand Slam singles titles as a teenager, in their 20s, and in their 30s.
  • Sampras won at least one title for 11 consecutive years (1990–2000) and 12 of 13 (except 2001). He won at least four titles per year from 1990 through 1999 and captured at least two per year from 1990 through 2000.
  • Sampras compiled a 19–9 career Davis Cup record (15–8 in singles) and was a member of the winning teams in 1992 and 1995.
  • Sampras served a career-high 1,011 aces in 1993 and 974 aces in 1995 to lead the ATP tour.
  • Sampras won a career-high 10 titles and compiled a personal-best 29-match winning streak in 1994.
  • Sampras won a career-best 85 matches in 1993 and on April 12 of that year became the 11th player in the history of the ATP rankings to reach World No. 1.
  • Sampras was the youngest US Open men's singles champion at 19 years, 28 days in 1990.
  • Sampras won 40 of the 42 singles matches he played on on Wimbledon's Centre Court and 63 of the 70 singles matches he played at the All England Club.
  • Sampras compiled a 762–222 win-loss record in singles during his 15 years on the ATP tour, winning more than 77% of his matches.
  • Sampras won singles titles in 11 different countries: Austria, Australia, Belgium, People's Republic of China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States.
  • Sampras is the only male player during the open era who played in at least seven singles finals at two different Grand Slam tournaments (8 US Open and 7 Wimbledon).
  • Sampras is the only male player to have won the same Grand Slam singles tournament 7 times (Wimbledon).
  • Only Sampras and Lendl have appeared in 8 finals of the same Grand Slam (US Open).
  • Only Sampras(1993–95 & 97) have won two grand slams in a calendar year four different times in their career. However, Federer won two Grand Slams in a year for four consecutive years (2004–07) and then again for fifth time in 2009.
  • Only Sampras (2000–02), Federer (2004–08), Lendl (1982–89) and McEnroe (1979–81) have appeared in 3 or more consecutive US Open finals.
  • Only Sampras (1997–2000), Becker (1988–91), Federer (2003–09), McEnroe (1980–84) and Borg (1976–81) have appeared in 4 or more consecutive Wimbledon Finals.

[edit] Awards

Summary of professional awards.[48]

  • Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Player of the Year for six consecutive years from 1993 through 1998.[49]
  • International Tennis Federation World Champion for six consecutive years from 1993 through 1998.[50]
  • U.S. Olympic Committee "Sportsman of the Year" in 1997. He was the first tennis player to receive this award.[51]
  • GQ Magazine's Individual Athlete Award for Man of the Year in 2000.
  • Selected the No. 1 player (of 25 players) in the past 25 years by a panel of 100 current and past players, journalists, and tournament directors to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the ATP in 1997.
  • Voted 48th athlete of Top 50 Greatest North American Athletes of ESPN's SportsCentury (also youngest on list).
  • In 2005, TENNIS Magazine named Sampras the greatest tennis player for the period 1965 through 2005, from its list, "The 40 Greatest Players of the TENNIS Era".

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Pete Sampras at the Association of Tennis Professionals
  2. ^ "40 Greatest Players of the Tennis Era". Tennis magazine. http://www.tennis.com/features/40greatest/40greatest.aspx?id=194. Retrieved on 2007-02-14. 
  3. ^ "Bud Collins: Top five men's stars of all-time". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14489546/. Retrieved on 2007-02-14. 
  4. ^ "40 Greatest Players of the Tennis Era". Tennis magazine. http://www.tennis.com/features/40greatest/40greatest.aspx?id=194. Retrieved on 2007-02-14. 
  5. ^ "Hall of Famers. Home to the Legends of Tennis". International Tennis Hall of Fame. 2006. http://www.tennisfame.com/famer.aspx?pgID=867&hof_id=243. Retrieved on 2008-02-25. 
  6. ^ "Sampras visits ancestral home for first time". msnbc.com. Associated Press. 2007-05-15. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18682181/. Retrieved on 2008-02-20. 
  7. ^ a b Higdon, David (1996-10-02). "Questions from the Net: Your Top Ten Questions to Pete Sampras". Tennisserver.com. http://www.tennisserver.com/netgame/netgame_10_2_96.html. Retrieved on 2008-02-20. 
  8. ^ Nick Green (Sunday 1 July 2007). "The tennis champion on meeting his Hollywood actress wife, beating Agassi and those famous on-court tears". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/jul/01/tennis.features. Retrieved on 2009-06-26. 
  9. ^ Srinivasan, Archana (2007). Biographies of Bio-Sporting Legends. Sura Books. p. 80. ISBN 8-174-78644-9. 
  10. ^ a b "The King of Swing. Pete Sampras". Petesampras.com. http://www.petesampras.com/sampras2.html. Retrieved on 2008-02-22. 
  11. ^ Spadea, Vince; with Dan Markowitz (2006). Break Point: The Secret Diary of a Pro Tennis Player. ECW Press. pp. 36, p. 125. ISBN 1-550-22729-7. 
  12. ^ Shifrin, Joshua (2005). 101 Incredible Moments in Tennis: The Good, the Bad and the Infamous. Virtualbookworm.com Publishers. p. 229. ISBN 1-589-39820-3. 
  13. ^ "Ranking History of Pete Sampras for 1988". ATP Official website. http://www.atptennis.com/5/en/players/playerprofiles/rankhistory.asp?playernumber=S402&selyear=1988. Retrieved on 2008-11-28. 
  14. ^ "1988 Player Activity for Pete Sampras". ATP Official website. http://www.atptennis.com/5/en/players/playerprofiles/playeractivity.asp?prevtrnnum=0&year=1988&query=Singles&selTournament=0&player=S402&x=8&y=8. Retrieved on 2008-11-28. 
  15. ^ "Ranking History of Pete Sampras for 1989". ATP Official website. http://www.atptennis.com/5/en/players/playerprofiles/rankhistory.asp?playernumber=S402&selyear=1989. Retrieved on 2008-11-28. 
  16. ^ "1989 Player Activity for Pete Sampras". ATP Official website. http://www.atptennis.com/5/en/players/playerprofiles/playeractivity.asp?prevtrnnum=0&year=1989&query=Singles&selTournament=0&player=S402&x=6&y=4. Retrieved on 2008-11-28. 
  17. ^ "Ranking History of Pete Sampras for 1990". ATP Official website. http://www.atptennis.com/5/en/players/playerprofiles/rankhistory.asp?playernumber=S402&selyear=1990. Retrieved on 2008-11-28. 
  18. ^ Srinivasan, 2007, Bio-Sporting Legends, p. 83.
  19. ^ "1990 Player Activity for Pete Sampras". ATP Official website. http://www.atptennis.com/5/en/players/playerprofiles/playeractivity.asp?prevtrnnum=0&year=1990&query=Singles&selTournament=0&player=S402&x=10&y=8. Retrieved on 2008-11-28. 
  20. ^ Schwartz, Larry. "Sampras competes against best -- ever". ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016453.html. Retrieved on 2008-02-20. 
  21. ^ "Upon Hall of Fame Induction, Sampras Says a Loss Spurred Wins". The Associated Press. 2007-07-15. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/sports/tennis/15tennis.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=sampras+open+1992&st=nyt&oref=slogin. Retrieved on 2008-02-20. 
  22. ^ Sampras, Pete; Peter Bodo (2008). A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis. Crown Publishing Group. p. 92. ISBN 0307383296. 
  23. ^ Most current Wimbledon Titles.
  24. ^ Bud Collins (1995-01-26). "Old friends battle it out to the death". http://www.geocities.com/hovav13/art-The_Night_Pete_Cried.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-27. 
  25. ^ Based on total wins per surface.
  26. ^ Mizell, Hubert (2000-06-30). "Injured Sampras plays on". St. Petersburg Times. http://www.sptimes.com/News/063000/Sports/Injured_Sampras_plays.shtml. Retrieved on 2008-02-20. 
  27. ^ Raymond Lee (2007-14-09). "Greatest Player Of All Time: A Statistical Analysis". Tennis Week. http://www.tennisweek.com/news/fullstory.sps?inewsid=503656. Retrieved on 2009-06-27. 
  28. ^ "Sampras-Agassi Head-to-Head Matches". ATP Official website. http://www.atptennis.com/3/en/players/headtohead/?player1=Sampras%2C+Pete&player2=agassi. Retrieved on 2008-11-28. 
  29. ^ "Q & A with Nate Ferguson, Sampras' personal stringer". Tennis Warehouse. August 1999. http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Features/9908NateFerguson.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-27. 
  30. ^ "Wilson K Factor KPro Staff 88 Racquet Review". Tennis Warehouse. http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Reviews/KPS88/KPS88Review.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-26. 
  31. ^ Ulmann, Howard (2007-02-07). "Sampras 'to see how it goes' in Champions Series return". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/tennis/2007-02-05-sampras_x.htm. Retrieved on 2008-02-20. 
  32. ^ "Pete Sampras beats Todd Martin to win Athens seniors event". Associated Press. 2007-05-20. http://www.sportsline.com/tennis/story/10190061. Retrieved on 2008-02-20. 
  33. ^ "Senior tour a crowd-pleasing idea". The Gazette. 2007-05-15. http://championsseriestennis.com/boston2007/index.php?newsid=358&page=news. Retrieved on 2008-02-20. 
  34. ^ "Federer beats Sampras in first of three exhibitions". The Associated Press. 2007-11-20. http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=3120068. Retrieved on 2008-02-20. 
  35. ^ "Sampras pulls off Federer upset". BBC Sport. November 24, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7110622.stm. Retrieved on 2008-02-20. 
  36. ^ "Sampras shows no mercy in beating Haas in exhibition". Associated Press. 2008-02-19. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/81271/Sampras-shows-no-mercy-in-beating-Haas-in-exhibition. Retrieved on 2008-02-20. 
  37. ^ "Clash of the Tennis Titans". The Tennis Channel. 2008. http://www.tennischannel.com/federer_sampras/. Retrieved on 2008-02-22. 
  38. ^ "2009 EVENTS". http://www.championsseriestennis.com/upcoming.php. 
  39. ^ "Pete Sampras's serving style". http://www.tennisserver.com/set/set_03_11.html. Retrieved on 2008-07-07. 
  40. ^ "Second Serve Style and Speed". http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/tour_strokes/john_yandell/sampras_serve/sampras_serve_second_serve_part8_images/sampras_serve_second_serve_part8.html. Retrieved on 2008-07-07. 
  41. ^ "Had you written off Pistol Pete?". BBC Sport. August 19, 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/sports_talk/2202611.stm. Retrieved on 2007-05-20. 
  42. ^ Behniwal, Ajaybir (May 2, 2007). "Women's tennis nets good draw through recent wins". The Daily Bruin (ASUCLA Student Media). http://dailybruin.com/news/2007/may/02/womens_tennis_nets_good_draw_through_recent_wins/. Retrieved on 2007-05-20. 
  43. ^ "TENNIS LEGEND PETE SAMPRAS FORMS NEW COMPANY – PURE SPORTS MANAGEMENT" (PDF). Press Release. 2007-03-29. http://www.puresportsmanagement.com/files/Pure_Sports_Management_announcement.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-08-24. 
  44. ^ "Actress Brigette is Sampras love match". CNN.com (Associated Press). October 2, 2000. Archived from the original on 2006-05-26. http://web.archive.org/web/20060526035920/http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/2000/fyi/news/10/02/sampras.wedding/index.html. Retrieved on 2007-05-20. 
  45. ^ "Sampras Adds New Title: Father". The New York Times. November 26, 2002. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980DEFD71F39F935A15752C1A9649C8B63&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fS%2fSampras%2c%20Pete. Retrieved on 2007-05-20. 
  46. ^ "Review 2005: Celebrity births, marriages and deaths". Manchester Evening News. 2005-12-12. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/showbiz/s/191/191185_review_2005_celebrity_births_marriages_and_deaths.html. Retrieved on 2007-05-20. 
  47. ^ "Clay soils Pete's record". BBC Sport. 2002-05-23. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/french_open/1952120.stm. Retrieved on 2008-02-22. 
  48. ^ "Bio:Pete Sampras". Gabby Awards. http://www.gabbyawards.com/the-nominees/athletics/117-pete-sampras.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-26. 
  49. ^ "ATP Bio:Pete Sampras". http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Players/Sa/P/Pete-Sampras.aspx. Retrieved on 2009-06-26. 
  50. ^ Pete Sampras at the International Tennis Federation
  51. ^ "Pete Sampras Left Behind A Legacy Few Players Can Ever Match". http://www.all-about-tennis.com/pete-sampras.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-27. 

[edit] See also

Tennis portal

[edit] Further reading

  • Collins, Bud; H. A. Branham (1996). Sampras: A Legend in the Works. Chicago: Bonus Books. ISBN 1-56625-062-5. 
  • Pete Sampras and Peter Bodo (2009). Pete Sampras: The Autobiography - A Champion's Mind. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 9781845134693. 

[edit] Video

  • Wimbledon Classic Match: Federer vs Sampras (2001) Standing Room Only, DVD Release Date: October 31, 2006, Run Time: 233 minutes, ASIN: B000ICLR98.
  • Legends of Wimbledon - Pete Sampras (2006) Standing Room Only, DVD Release Date: October 31, 2006, Run Time: 60 minutes, ASIN: B000ICLR84.
  • The Netjets Showdown: Pete Sampras vs. Roger Federer (2008) Arts Alliance Amer, DVD Release Date: April 22, 2008, Run Time: 180 minutes, ASIN: B0013PVGN6.

[edit] External links

Search Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pete Sampras
 
Pete Sampras (Achievement precedessor & successor)
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Jim Courier
Jim Courier
Andre Agassi
Thomas Muster
Thomas Muster
Marcelo Ríos
Marcelo Ríos
Carlos Moyá
Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Patrick Rafter
Andre Agassi		 World No. 1
April 12, 1993 - August 22, 1993
September 13, 1993 - April 9, 1995
November 6, 1995 - January 28, 1996
February 19, 1996 - March 10, 1996
April 15, 1996 - March 29, 1998
April 27, 1998 - August 9, 1998
August 24, 1998 - March 14, 1999
March 29, 1999 - May 2, 1999
June 14, 1999 - July 4, 1999
August 2, 1999 - September 12, 1999
September 11, 2000 - November 19, 2000		 Succeeded by
Jim Courier
Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Thomas Muster
Marcelo Ríos
Marcelo Ríos
Carlos Moyà
Yevgeny Kafelnikov
Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Marat Safin
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Michael Chang		 ATP Most Improved Player
1990		 Succeeded by
Jim Courier
Preceded by
Jim Courier		 ATP Player of the Year
1993–1998		 Succeeded by
Andre Agassi
Preceded by
Jim Courier		 ITF World Champion
1993–1998		 Succeeded by
Andre Agassi


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